What Is Dyscalculia?

Dyscalculia is a specific learning difficulty that affects a person’s understanding of numbers and maths. It may occur with other difficulties such as Dyslexia.

People with dyslexia can have a difficulty with maths due to the level of language contained in a problem. People with dyscalculia instead have a difficulty understanding simple number concepts, have problems learning number facts and procedures.

Symptoms of Dyscalculia.

Difficulties with

1. Number sense: This may present as difficulty linking numbers and symbols to amounts and directions, making sense of money, or telling time on an analogue clock.
2. Facts and calculation of numbers
3. Mathematical reasoning
4. Language of maths, different words can be used to describe the same action, e.g. add, increase, plus, total.
5. Sequencing e.g. learning times tables is all about learning a strict sequence of information.
6. Orientation and Direction of symbols
7. Trouble understanding positive versus negative value
8. Poor sense of direction
9. Poor time management skills
10. Difficulty completing mental maths (in their head)
11. Remembering and recalling mathematical information
12. Transitioning between lessons in secondary school is a difficulty
13. A tendency to lose things and may seem absent minded
14. Difficulty with music and learning music or instruments

What You Might Notice As A Parent?

1. Using fingers to count out maths solutions, long after peers have stopped using this method
2. Reversing 5 and 2 long after peers have stopped
3. Trouble recalling basic maths facts such as tables
4. Difficulty linking numbers and symbols to amounts and directions
5. Difficulty making sense of money
6. Unable to tell time on an analogue clock
7. Difficulty keeping scores during games or who’s turn it is.
8. Difficulty immediately sorting out right from left
9. Troubles with recognising patterns and sequencing numbers
10. They have a poor sense of direction and may get lost frequently
11. Poor self-confidence

Types Of Dyscalculia And Diagnoses.

Most dyscalculia is developmental, meaning it was present from birth and will be diagnosed from about 7 years on wards. An adult can be diagnosed with acquired dyscalculia after a serious brain injury or a stroke.

Dyscalculia has no cure and is not a phase a child will grow out of. They can with supportive teaching begin to fill in gaps in their knowledge. They can also develop coping skills that can be used throughout in their lives. Therefore early diagnoses and interventions is important.

Assessment

If you suspect that your child has dyscalculia then your first port of call will be their teacher and school. Your child’s teacher may have already noticed your child’s difficulties and have contacted you. But don’t be surprised if they don’t, as Dyscalculia is one disability that not many people know about.

Dyscalculia is a disability and children have rights and entitlements under the various disability and education legislation. In Ireland your child is entitled to an Assessment of Need if they have a disability. I talk about how to go about this here.

You will need to get your child assessed by an Educational Psychologist. They may ask you to get your child’s hearing and eye sight tested first, they want to rule out any problems in those areas before completing an Educational Assessment.

The assessment takes several hours to complete and also includes you talking to the Educational Psychologist. Your child’s teacher(s) will also fill in some paperwork. This paperwork lets the teacher put their observations etc., to the psychologist.

Individual Education Plan

Once you have received the assessment your child’s school will use the recommendations to help put together an IEP or Individual Educational Plan for your child. It is the schools responsibility to do so. You will also have an input into the plan and the school will recommend ways you can help your child at home.

Unfortunately getting maths learning support in schools is hard to obtain as they very much place the emphasis on literacy. Learning support tutors for maths can be usually found through your Dyslexia Association such as DAI in Ireland. These are qualified teachers but will be private learning support tutors so you will have to pay them.

It is important that your child’s teacher understands how dyscalculia works, a lot won’t I’m afraid. Be prepared to explain it to them and anyone else, and believe me while they attend primary and secondary school you’ll explain it a lot.

How Teachers Can Help.

Teachers can find out more and get recognised training from the local Dyslexia Association (DAI Ireland). They can immediately help your child by using a multi-sensory approach and giving the child specific instruction to help them understand the language and symbols used in maths. Using number squares and calculators, allowing the child to not have to learn their times tables and using computer programs.

How You Can Help

There are plenty of ways in which you can help your child. Being organised, and you do need to be organised, I talk about why and how here. (Don’t skip reading this)

1. Be consistent in your parenting first and foremost. You don’t need to treat them differently than your other children.
2. Stop Feeling Guilty, it’s not the end of yours or your child’s life. You didn’t do anything wrong nor did your child.
3. Yes, you will grieve it’s a normal part of this. So seek advice or help if needed.
4. Your child will live with this for the rest of their lives. It’s not a disease, so it’s not curable! Don’t buy into the fads!
5. Find out what dyscalculia is, try DAI Ireland as a starting point. 
6. Find out what it means for your child. Don’t get bogged down in their report/assessment, it can be very intimidating, just concentrate on the summary usually on the last page.
7. Find out your child’s right and entitlements with regard to their disability remember it’s covered by disability and education legislation. Make a note of these and know them.
8. Ask for help for you and your child. See if there is a support group on social media or in person in your locality. Talking to other parents is key for you. Meeting others with dyscalculia is also vital for your child’s self-esteem.

Help In School

1. Speak to the school to make sure they are putting in to place an IEP. Don’t assume they have done so. You should get a copy (remember I said you need to be organised).
2. Make an appointment to see their teacher if they have only one, if not ask to speak to the Year Head.
3. Take someone with you who can take notes or ask questions. Make sure you have a list of questions written down you may want to ask. 
4. Bring a copy of your child’s report to the meeting, if they are already having resource hours try to see both teachers at the same time.
5. If the school got the educational assessment done then ask for a copy of the report you are entitled to one. Always keep these until a new one is completed.
6. You will need a copy of your child’s latest assessment at various stages to get accommodations in state exams. Don’t assume that the school will apply for accomodations or exemptions on your child’s behalf. Always check in with the school early and make sure to follow up that they have completed these. 

Outside School

1. It’s your job to help build your child’s self-esteem, so make home a safe place. Don’t focus too much on the negative but always emphasise the positive skills and attributes they have.
2. Teach your child to self-advocate, as they older they will need to be able to do this. So by the time they go to college they can handle talking to and getting resources by themselves quite comfortable. Remember to teach them they can have an advocate present in any meeting, they are never alone.
3. Encourage them to take part in activities outside of school that plays to their strengths. In this way you can help them build their self-confidence. You can find more information on building self-confidence in children here. 

I talk more about communication with schools, using technology, how to help with homework and building their self-esteem in my 3 part series on Dyslexia. You can check these posts out here.

Work With Me.

Remember you are allowed to ask for support. No one is an island. If you need extra support then you can also work with me. We all struggle with stress and overwhelm from time to time. If you find this has become a problem for you and you’d like some support then schedule an appointment with me.